BERLIN, Aug 22: German anti-doping expert Werner Franke said on Tuesday the World Athletics Championships will be rife with drug cheats insisting that the event’s testing system is ‘inefficient’.

The nine-day event will run in Osaka, Japan, from Saturday.

Franke, a biology professor from Heidelberg and a leading campaigner against doping, says drug-taking is rife in athletics and the International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) drugs tests will do little to catch cheats in Osaka.

“This will be one of the dirtiest (championships) since the beginning of the 90s,” he told German agency SID.

“Doping has moved onto a higher level.” The German expert criticised the IAAF’s testing system saying that more has to be done if the event is to consider itself drugs-free.

“The system set up by the IAAF remains inefficient,” he said.

“If you don’t have drugs tests at least two to six weeks before the competition, then there is no point testing during the event itself.

“Today, athletes use drugs which leave no trace only two days after they are used.”—AFP